The last two members of a six-person drug trafficking group have pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute large quantities of fentanyl and heroin in Alaska. Semaj Brown, 34, and Brandon Garrett, 46, both from Anchorage, entered their pleas on Thursday. They conspired with Julio Juarez, 32, Marcelino Juarez, 30, Shane Murphy, 43, all of Alaska, and Gustavo Sebastian Lopez-Chavez, 24, a Mexican national residing illegally in the U.S., to obtain drugs in California and transport them to Alaska by mail or airline baggage.
According to court documents, several members of the group traveled between Alaska and California multiple times to purchase drugs and pooled money for these trips. The investigation culminated on August 22, 2024 when agents from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service identified a suspicious package addressed to an Anchorage residence. Four days later, law enforcement seized more than two kilograms of fentanyl powder from the parcel after executing a search warrant.
A controlled delivery was then conducted at the destination address. Marcelino Juarez was seen entering the residence and leaving with Brown; both were later stopped by police at a gas station where Marcelino Juarez was arrested and Garrett detained.
Further investigation revealed that Brown and Murphy flew from Anchorage to Los Angeles in early July 2024 to buy heroin and fentanyl from multiple sources including Lopez-Chavez. On July 6th that year, authorities at Los Angeles International Airport seized about one kilogram of heroin and two kilograms of fentanyl powder from a checked bag destined for Anchorage.
The FBI arrested Lopez-Chavez in Los Angeles on November 14th while he was in possession of approximately 23 kilograms of fentanyl as well as cash and counterfeit immigration documents.
Overall, law enforcement has seized at least 36 kilograms of fentanyl and around 10 kilograms of heroin related to this case.
Marcelino Juarez was first charged by complaint in August 2024 before being indicted along with Julio Juarez, Brown and Murphy the following month. Both Juarez brothers pleaded guilty in July this year; Murphy did so in April; Lopez-Chavez pleaded guilty last month after being indicted in November; Garrett was indicted earlier this March. Stockton Police identified the Juarez brothers and Brown as known gang members.
Sentencing is scheduled within three months for all defendants except Julio Juarez who faces between fifteen years to life due to a prior attempted murder conviction for which he served eleven years. The others face ten years to life imprisonment. Sentences will be determined by a federal district judge considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
“U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska, Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office, Alaska State Trooper Colonel Maurice Hughes and Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Seattle Division made the announcement.”
The FBI’s Anchorage Field Office led the investigation with help from local narcotics teams under HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area), postal inspectors across regions including Seattle Division as well as other federal agencies such as IRS Criminal Investigation unit and U.S Marshals Service’s Los Angeles team; state law enforcement also assisted through participation on joint task forces.
Assistant U.S Attorneys Tom Bradley, Jack Schmidt and Bill Reed are prosecuting this case.